Fred Campbell

Fred Gaines Campbell


Born:
August 8, 1920
Alabama

Died:
December 3, 2008
Austin, Texas



Career
1937-38 Herrin High School - Indiana (High School)
1938-39 Herrin High School - Indiana (High School)
1939-40 Herrin High School - Indiana (High School)
1940-41 Southern Illinois University (College)
1941-42 Southern Illinois University (College)
1946-47 Detroit Gems (NBL) - Player / head coach
1947-48 Detroit Vagabond Kings (Independent) - Player / head coach
1948-49 Detroit Vagabond Kings (NBL)
1949-50 Detroit Mansfield (Independent)
1949-50 Detroit Vagabond Kings (Independent) - Player / head coach
1950-51 Detroit Vagabond Kings (Independent) - Player / head coach
1951-52 Detroit Vagabond Kings (Independent) - Player / head coach
1952-53 Detroit Vagabond Kings (Independent) - Player / head coach 
1953-54 Detroit Vagabond Kings (Independent) - Player / head coach

Some places have Fred as born July 27, 1921, and dying December 2, 2001. This obituary from the Register News of Mt Vernon (Dec 3 2001) does not mention his basketball or baseball career, or attending Southern Illinois, or being from Herrin, Illinois.
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ILFRANKL/2001-12/1008090080
This is not him.

The Biographical Coaches Guide has him born on August 8, 1920.

1940 Census records has him born to Clarence (c.1894-1943) and Gazetta (1897-1971) Campbell, with brothers Paul (born c. 1918) and Clarence (born 1925, killed in car accident in 1972)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWTS-1PD

According to Gazetta's obituary in the Southern Illinoisan from April 21, 1971 (she remarried after Clarence's death and became Gazetta Shaw), Fred was a resident of Austin, Texas.

A search of the SSDI gives us the date of death.
http://death-records.mooseroots.com/l/133466656/Fred-Gaines-Campbell

Campbell wound up as a player coach for the Kings for many years, including after they left the NBL before the season even ended. (They had a brutal 1-27 record under him). He still played minor league baseball for years, eventually winding up with the team in Austin, Texas, where he stayed once his playing days were through.


Minor League Baseball Stats
http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=campbe001fre


Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/c/campbfr01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=campbfr01